Anxiety Can Be a Really Good Thing

I’ve read and listened to so many things about anxiety since it became a buzzword. I’ve carried it around in my psyche since childhood.

Every time I hear or read something, there’s always a lot of repetition, but there’s always some new insight I take away. It helps evolve and change my relationship to living with anxiety.

In a Jim Kwik podcast I listened to recently called Turn Anxiety Into Your Superpower, Dr. Wendy Suzuki, reminds us of the history of anxiety.

Anxiety is actually a protective mechanism, and it’s there to serve us. This underlying physiological response evolved to protect us against the dangers. It is essential for our survival.

A lot of us have heard about the analogy of the tiger chasing us, and the fight, flight, or freeze mechanism. That’s our sympathetic nervous system that kicks in when we’re in danger.

What’s happened in modern life? Danger is everywhere — except most times, it’s not real. Our brain perceives a situation as dangerous.

Our protection mode has gone into overdrive. The volume of our anxiety is way too high.

We all need to be less anxious. We know this.

Over the years I’ve learned techniques to reduce anxiety, but I’ve only seen them as coping mechanisms.

What if anxiety were not a burden? What if it could become a superpower?

Stay with me. I’m learning too.

A mindset shift is more powerful than we realize

I lived with anxiety for over three decades before I actually knew what it was. Today, it’s all around us.

I now know that squashing my anxiety is not the answer. It’s always going to be with me, so I’m learning to understand it.

I’ve learned to cope; CBD oils, lavender, protective rocks and gems, deep breathing, Yoga, meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy — I’ve dabbled in a lot of these things.

If I had a regular system for applying some of these practices I would have more superpowers!

But where does mindset come in?

Your mindset is your set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world.

In this case, what you believe about anxiety is what it becomes. If you believe that it is stronger than you, that it can paralyze you, and that you can’t overcome it, this is what happens.

Dr. Suzuki talks about anxiety as a tool for learning, and you can practice turning down the volume.

The power is in the practice.

The more we practice anything, the more we change our brains. Because our brains have the quality of neuroplasticity and can change.

The more we shift our thinking around the experience of anxiety, the more we become resilient.

We are more adaptable. We thrive.

So in other words, changing how you see anxiety and how you respond to the experience, creates resilience in all areas of your life. You’re building the muscle that says “this is happening, and I’m still okay”.

Anxiety, or any other ailment or “burden” you’re carrying around, can be your superpower, or your gift.

Becoming emotionally fit is simple. But not easy.

Dr. Suzuki explains how to flip yourself from a draining anxiety experience to something more empowering.

The first step is to learn and practice techniques to ‘turn down the volume’ on anxiety. In order to do this, you need to activate the stress reduction part of your nervous system.

The de-stressing part of our nervous system is called the parasympathetic nervous system.

How do you activate this?

Deep breathing.

This is one of the oldest forms of meditation. I had no idea!

Deep breathing has been a lifesaver for me, but I haven’t been looking at it the way she explained:

When we’re using the breath, we can be conscious of it, and grateful for it.

I can breathe. I am grateful for my breath.

And breathing helps build resilience.

Your breath is your real superpower in any situation

Breathing is so beautiful because it helps connect you to the thing that keeps you alive. It grounds you. It centers you. It helps you make better decisions (by activating the pre-frontal cortex).

It’s simple, and the impact is powerful.

But, when you combine breathing with affirmation and gratitude, along with the awareness that you are rewiring your brain, and becoming more resilient, that takes it to another level.

Try this next time you are feeling anxious:

1. I am feeling anxious (acknowledgment)
2. Notice where you feel anxiety in your body (body awareness)
3. Accept that you’re experiencing anxiety (acceptance)
4. Take deep diaphragmatic, slow breaths (conscious action)
5. While you’re breathing repeat some positive words.
6. I use these onesPractice gratitude — for your breath or anything else that comes to mind. It’s hard to stay in a place of fear when you’re grateful.

By changing your mindset, you can change your life. And sometimes what we see as our weakness can be transformed into our biggest asset.

Remember to breathe.

You are more powerful than you know.

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Previously Published on medium

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